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MONTREAL—Star goaltender Carey Price is out for the entire Eastern Conference final and possibly beyond with a lower-body injury, Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien told a news conference Monday in Brossard, Que.

The announcement was a bombshell, delivered on the morning of Game 2 of the series against the New York Rangers. Backup goaltenders Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski were on the ice at the Habs practice facility, but at least one report in the Montreal media had claimed that Price was at 75 per cent, and would start Game 2. Then Therrien took the podium.

“We’ve lost our best player,” said Therrien.

Price was injured 3:15 into the second period of Game 1, with Montreal trailing 2-0. New York’s Chris Kreider broke loose, and on the breakaway he was hit in the shins by the stick of a diving Alexei Emelin. Kreider slid into Price skates up, and Price’s right knee and ankle appeared to buckle. After slowly rising to his feet, Price played the rest of the period, allowed two more goals, and was benched entering the third period.

Therrien said that leaving Price in the game did not aggravate the injury. The 26-year-old Price started 59 games for Montreal this season, and was Canada’s goalie on the way to Olympic gold in Sochi.

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The Canadiens coach was clearly angry, but also tried to rally his team.

“Looking at the incident, it’s a reckless play,” said Therrien. “That’s the truth. And Kreider, this is not the first time that he is going at goalies. We end up losing our best player, but our group has faced a lot of adversity through the course of the season, and we responded, and we had the attitude to respond really well. And that’s what I’m expecting, starting tonight.”

Sunday, Montreal players expressed some anger with the hit. Forward Brandon Prust said, “Everybody says it’s accidental, but it’s accidental on purpose. He did nothing to really avoid him. We’re in the NHL. We know how to fall, how to not put our skates first when we fall. He did the same thing against [Marc-André] Fleury in the last series. I mean, he’s not doing anything to avoid him. It’s not totally intentional, but he doesn’t do anything to lighten it up a bit.”

Therrien said he had decided on a starter, but that was left to reading tea leaves. Budaj is the regular backup, but has a poor playoff record in limited appearances. The 24-year-old Tokarski has won the Memorial Cup, the world juniors, and the Calder Cup, but has played just 10 games in the NHL, posting a 2.93 goals-against average, and a .902 save percentage. He played in parts of three games this season, winning twice, and stopped 88 of 93 shots, for a .946 save percentage. He was in the net that Price regularly occupies at the morning skate.

He does have a pedigree, albeit not at this level. In 20 career AHL playoff games, Tokarski recorded a 1.67 goals-against and a .937 save percentage, playing behind a dominant Norfolk Admirals team that at one point won 29 straight games. In 39 career junior playoff games with the Spokane Chiefs, his numbers were 1.69 and .939.

But none of that is the Eastern Conference final against a team that won Game 1 7-2.

Montreal goalie coach Stephane Waite had a long talk with Budaj towards the end of the skate. Neither Budaj nor Tokarski were made available. The 31-year-old Budaj appeared in 31 games this season, with a .909 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against. He has not recorded a league-average save percentage since playing 15 games for Colorado in 2009-10. He was the first goaltender off the ice at the skate, which is often an indication of the starter.

Montreal swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, who were missing starting goaltender Ben Bishop. Now, they will try to avoid the same fate.

“We’ve got a chance tonight again to give Carey Price a chance to get back in the playoffs,” said Therrien. Asked whether the Canadiens knew for sure Price would be ready were Montreal to advance to the Stanley Cup final, Therrien said he hoped it would be the case, but could not guarantee it. In Montreal right now, nothing is guaranteed but worry, and maybe worse.

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